Select the options below to filter research projects:
Research Topic: Intercropping/Other / New Popular
- Project Status: In Progress
- Principal Investigators: Professor Stuart J. Smyth
- Project Dates: 2025-2029
- Abstract/Summary: The purpose of this Contribution is to support research activities related to agrifood innovation and sustainability currently led by Dr. Stuart Smyth.
Research Topic: Intercropping/Other / New Popular
- Project Status: In Progress
- Principal Investigators: Dr. Jean-Sebastien Parent, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Project Dates: 2025-2028
- Abstract/Summary: This project aims to address the information gap and advance oat breeding towards a breeding-by-design approach, often referred to as Breeding 4.0. The current paradigm in breeding R&D delineates breeding into four stages: Breeding 1.0 involves incidental seed selection by farmers, followed by Breeding 2.0, which incorporates Mendelian genetics and field design along with statistical procedures for accurate selection—serving as the backbone of breeding methodologies. Breeding 3.0 represents the integration of genomics and phenomics tools, utilizing methods such as genomic selection to enhance agronomic traits like yield. This stage represents current state-of-the-art practices in many commercial field crop breeding programs. Breeding 4.0, or breeding-by-design, pushes the boundaries further by enabling the deliberate combination of known alleles into optimal combinations and could help reach breeding goals for oat (2).
Research Topic: Fertility/Climate/Environment / Popular
- Project Status: In Progress
- Principal Investigators: Matthew Struthers, Saskatchewan Production and Development Branch
- Project Dates: April 2025 - February 2027
- Abstract/Summary: The main objectives for this project are to demonstrate suitable Nitrogen rates of new oat varieties with high yield potentila in different soil and climatic zones within the province; and, to demonstrate, to local oat growers, new varieties that are available to increase adoption of new oat genetics.
Research Topic: Fertility/Climate/Environment / Popular
- Project Status: In Progress
- Principal Investigators: Dr. Michelle Carkner, University of Manitoba, replacing Dr. Martin Entz upon retirement in 2026
- Project Dates: April 1/24 - March 31/26
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Abstract/Summary:
The project aims to expand knowledge of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in organic production by measuring N2O emissions and soil carbon storage for wheat, oat and flax grown in a variety of organic production scenarios.
Objectives are to: 1) Compare organic and conventional production in terms of N2O emissions over a growing season. 2) Compare organic and conventional production in terms of soil C storage over the long-term (32 years). 3) Determine the GHG footprints of organic wheat, oats and flax compared with conventional production. 4) Evaluate how mixing legume green manure cover crops with non-legume plant species affects N2O emission during and after the green manure phase. 5) Evaluate how reducing tillage in the legume green manure cover crop termination phase affects N2O and ammonia emissions after legume termination. 6) Determine if fall cereals reduce the post-termination N2O emissions from alfalfa hay crops.
Research Topic: Fertility/Climate/Environment / Popular
- Project Status: Completed
- Principal Investigators: Mike Hall, East Central Research Foundation - Suncrest College
- Project Dates: April 1/25 - April 1/26
- Abstract/Summary: Trials were established at Yorkton, Indian Head, Swift Current, Scott, Melfort, Prince Albert, and Redvers to determine if delaying the crop’s access to nitrogen could decrease lodging, increase protein, and maintain test weight and yield of milling oat. Applying a portion of the total N as dribble banded UAN (4 leaf vs boot stages) or side banded ESN was compared to side banding all the N as urea. These comparisons were made at total N levels of 110 and 140 lb/ac (soil + fertilizer). Some benefits from managing N were detected, however, they were rare and inconsistent. While yield and protein did not typically differ between levels of N management at most sites, applying a portion of the total N as UAN at the boot stage decreased both yield and grain protein at Indian Head. This highlights the environmental risks associated with split applications. However, there were a couple instances where supplying a portion of the N as ESN or dribble banded UAN did increase grain protein by providing late season N to the crop. Levels of lodging were very low at most locations, making it difficult to detect any differences between N management. However, even at sites where lodging was high, no significant effects were detected. Maintaining oat test weight with UAN at the boot with the use of ESN was detected in a couple of instances at Swift Current. However, these effects were not detected at any of the other locations despite test weight being responsive to added N at 4 of the locations. In conclusion, there was limited evidence that applying a portion of the N requirement as ESN or dribble banded UAN could maintain yield and test weight, increase grain protein, or reduce lodging. Effects were inconsistent between sites and even between levels of total N within a site.
Research Topic: Insect/Disease/Weeds / Popular
- Project Status: Completed
- Principal Investigators: Jessa Robb, U of SK student, under project lead Dr. Randy Kutcher
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Abstract/Summary:
Principal Investigator Dr. Randy Kucher led the project, which was undertaken by student Jessa Robb. This oat nursery project entailed two parts:
Evaluation of up to 10 oats cultivars for susceptibility or resistance to bacterial leaf streak (BLS), caused by Xanthomonas translucens.
Using one cultivar of oat, the pathogen will be applied to the whole trial. Two treatments will be applied and compared: (1) only water [no bactericide] and (2) CuS04 (formulated as Bordeaux mixture).
This project was funded by the Saskatchewan Oat Development Commission (SaskOats).
Research Topic: Insect/Disease/Weeds
- Project Status: Completed
- Principal Investigators: Brianne McInnes, NARF
- Project Dates: 2024-2025
- Abstract/Summary: Herbicide resistance of tough to control weeds, such as kochia and wild oats, is an ongoing problem on the Canadian Prairies. Herbicide resistance surveys conducted over the last two decades on the Prairies continue to demonstrate the increasing prevalence of herbicide-resistant weeds. With increasing incidence of herbicide resistance, utilization of different herbicide groups for control of resistant types is essential to ensure farmers don’t lose crop yield to weed pressure. Herbicide resistant weeds cost farmers a significant loss in income every year, at an estimated $340 million in Saskatchewan alone.
Research Topic: Insect/Disease/Weeds
- Project Status: In Progress
- Principal Investigators: Dr. Charles Geddes Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lethrbidge Research and Development Centre
- Project Dates: 2024 – 2029
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Abstract/Summary:
In Canada, kochia can now exhibit resistance to up to five herbicide modes of action (including Groups 2, 4, 5 (in the USA), 9, and now, 14). Very few herbicide options remain to control multiple herbicide-resistant kochia, and the ones that are available have rather limited use cases.
This project aims to understand which of the remaining herbicide options are available, especially before crop planting, and what approach can lead to better stewardship of these remaining active ingredients to mitigate further selection for resistance to new modes of action.
Objectives (note: wherever PPO-inhibitor-resistant kochia is mentioned, this refers to Group 14 resistance):
1. Determine cross-resistance to PPO-inhibiting herbicides in PPO-inhibitor-resistant kochia confirmed in SK.
2. Determine cross- or multiple-resistance to other herbicide modes of action in PPO-inhibitor-resistant kochia.
3. Determine the mechanism conferring resistance to PPO-inhibiting herbicides in kochia.
4. Continue monitoring kochia survey samples for PPO-inhibitor resistance across the Canadian Prairies.
5. Assess efficacy of alternative herbicides to manage multiple herbicide-resistant kochia prior to crop seeding.
6. Determine the mid/long-term utility and sustainability of strategic tillage for kochia management.
7. Assess the impact of timing and implement/depth of soil disturbance on kochia emergence, density, and the soil seedbank.
8. Determine the mid/long-term impact of winter cereals and perennials in crop rotations on multiple herbicide-resistant kochia.
